Student protests | “Gen Z stands up”: Berlin police analyze the situation

Students recently blocked access to the Andreas-Gymnasium in the Friedrichshain district. Photo: Sven Kaeuler/dpa Under the motto “Gen Z stands up,” student protests have been announced for October 31st in 23 cities – including Berlin. “We are young people who no longer want to watch how our future is being decided without us being heard,” says the call. The students are calling for “a policy that invests in education, social security, health and affordable living – instead of saving on the younger generation.”

The first protests and blockades at schools have already taken place in the capital in recent weeks, with the Berlin police also being deployed. A police spokesman said the authority currently has no information that calls for further action at schools are increasing. However, the police are closely following the current developments in the context of the student protests in France and Italy and are analyzing their possible impact on gatherings in the capital.

She observes efforts to use the issue of student protests specifically for her own interests. On October 16, the police identified a group of around 50 people who did not belong to the school on the sidelines of a demonstration at a high school in Friedrichshain. While the student protest was peaceful, according to the police, the other group had clashes with the police. A resident was also injured.

According to the authorities, the operation took place in close coordination with the school management and a crisis team set up by the Senate Department for Education. “The knowledge gained and what happened on October 16, 2026 will be incorporated into the ongoing assessment of the situation and will be taken into account in operational planning,” the police said.

The police also offer information events on the right to demonstrate. Young people are introduced to the topic in a playful way, for example by preparing a demo themselves, as it is said. They also learn how conflict situations can be resolved and what dangers there are in carrying even seemingly harmless weapons. dpa/nd

With us, no one has to pay to be informed. Sounds like a bad business model? It is too. But independent journalism and participation for everyone are more important to us than profit. Journalism still costs money: research, printing and all the people who do it. That's why we depend on you. We need 300,000 euros by the end of the year.

Donate once or regularly, every amount counts. So that nd remains.